Men’s Basketball Preseason Notebook: Redshirts Off
Nov 7, 2017 | Men's Basketball
The NCAA's rules for undergraduate student-athletes who transfer from one Division I institution to another are often debated, as establishing one year in academic residency before competing at a new school is required. For redshirt junior Jordan Cornish and redshirt sophomore Samir Sehic, the year off created a pair of monsters who endured, embraced and flourished in a series of stages.
The two are ready to help Tulane emerge as a contender in the American Athletic Conference, but their journeys to New Orleans began when they first met as pre-teen boys.
Cornish and Sehic have known one another since they were eight years old. Sehic played for the Texas Titans and Cornish for the Louisiana Elite. The two met again over the years, including in the Under-11 AAU championship in Virginia.
Not all opponents are enemies however, as the bond between Sehic and Cornish was genuine even as acquaintances at a young age.
"We always knew who the other one was," Sehic said. "When we decided to transfer, we thought it would be a lot of fun to play together. Having each other while sitting out definitely helped. We were able to train together and push one another. It's been exciting to go through this process with him."
Cornish's path to Tulane was untraditional, but it's easy to believe it was for a reason. As a New Orleans native and Brother Martin High School star who received excellent opportunities outside of his hometown, perhaps playing close to home has always been his destiny. While situations regarding head-coaching changes were out of his control, they were signs that his home needed him more and he was never supposed to leave to play the game he loves.
Originally committed to the University of Tennessee, Cornish decided to reopen his recruitment when then-head coach Cuonzo Martin left the Volunteers for the same position at the University of California-Berkeley during the summer of 2014. He ended up signing with UNLV.
Cornish enjoyed a tremendous freshman campaign for the Rebels in 2014-15, recording the second-highest single-season 3-point percentage in program history in a season UNLV upset top-ranked Arizona. However, in January 2016, head coach Dave Rice was fired. Cornish finished his sophomore season that spring and was once again in search of a new beginning.
Later that spring, Cornish was on a family vacation in Jamaica when he received a call from head coach Mike Dunleavy, Sr., who was hired at Tulane just several weeks prior. He asked Cornish to visit and listen to the blueprint he laid out for him and the program moving forward. Cornish loved what Dunleavy had to say and jumped at the opportunity to return home.
Unfortunately, this move would come with a cost. Cornish would have to sit out the 2016-17 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
"The sit-out year was the longest year of my life," Cornish said. "No one but me can understand what I personally felt not being able to play basketball games after 13-straight years. All I could do was practice. I couldn't travel with the team, be around my teammates as much and there was nothing really to look forward to. But now, I'm here."
Sehic, who had already committed to the Green Wave following one season at Vanderbilt, had a small role in convincing Cornish to be his teammate and go through the process with him.
The year sitting out wasn't all that lonely, as Cornish and Sehic bonded as much as any Green Wave players could. They did everything from working out together to having fun and adapting to life at Tulane.
"At Tulane, I'm among all my peers," Cornish said. I've loved the adjustment of living on a college campus because UNLV is a commuter school. Being able to be around my family, go home and see my mom and dad, my cousins and my uncles is important to me. I'm really, really close to my family, so playing in front of them again is what I'm excited about."
During the duo's redshirt season, Tulane assistant coach Raman Sposato could be seen running the stairs inside Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse with Cornish and Sehic before Tulane's home games. They would play one-on-one games on a single basket and get rapid-fire shots up off passes from Sposato. It was as close to a pregame and conditioning routine for the two transfers as possible.
"Working out with Ramo, my game has turned around 180 degrees," Cornish said. "I feel like I'm a better player since I got here after soaking in a lot of the knowledge Coach Dunleavy preaches. Coach Ramo has really helped me work on my craft and prepared me to have a big year."
The workouts were not just physical, but mental for both players. The mental edge was crucial for Sehic and he plans to use it right away.
"The way I've grown the most has been sitting back and seeing what it feels like not to have the game every day and not being allowed to play," Sehic said. "What it did to me was it created a bigger chip on my shoulder to motivate me and get ready for the next time I'm able to step on the court."
In August, Tulane went on a 10-day foreign tour of Spain, splitting time between Madrid and Barcelona. The Green Wave played four exhibition games, marking the first time Cornish and Sehic were able to officially don the Olive and Blue. Not only did Tulane go undefeated on the trip, but both got a small taste of what it feels like playing in organized games once again.
Cornish and Sehic have personal goals for their respective returns to the court in 2017-18, and their objectives are to use their experiences and growth for the betterment of their teammates and Tulane's basketball program as a whole.
"I'm going to be a leader on and off the court," Cornish said. "I'm going to give my all every time I step on the court. I'm going to make plays for myself and for my teammates. I want to bring more wins, more confidence and help create a positive atmosphere for everyone in this program."
Sehic shares the same motivation and is ready to unleash his presence on the court.
"I'm going to be a workhorse," Sehic said. "I'm going to do everything I possibly can to get every rebound and score when my number is called. I'm going to push everyone around me to get better."
The redshirts are off for Cornish and Sehic, and the Tulane faithful should be excited about it.
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